It's a gray, chilly, rainy, wonderful day. Fred and Ethel just made their first appearance of the season in our pond! This makes nineteen years that the Mallard pair have shown up in our garden to take advantage of our pond. Last year they came on March 29. I've been keeping track of their arrival date as the main phenological note-taking that I do.
Mallard pairs are monogamous and they live to about 20 years. Of course, we can't be sure these are our original pair but every year at this time one pair show up and we like to believe it is the same couple. This early in the season they are pretty skittish about humans so we just watched them — and took this photo — through our double-glazed windows. Once they saw us moving about, they flew off. They'll be coming and going from now until about the end of June. They've never nested in our garden but they have brought their ducklings for a swim a couple of times over the years.
Oh that is so fun. It would be great to have some ducklings swimming around for a bit.
Posted by: Erin @ The Impatient Gardener | Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 03:00 PM
I always get excited to hear about your mallard couple arriving. It does speak of spring in the air despite the weather. I wonder how many more years they will make this journey together.
Posted by: Lisa at Greenbow | Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 03:23 PM
Lisa — We were as excited as a couple of kids when we saw them. Each year we think it may be the last. Maybe they look at us and think the same thing!
Posted by: Linda from Each Little World | Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 04:46 PM
Great to see them back again. Wildlife in the garden is such a splendid thing. Well mostly.
Posted by: rusty duck | Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 05:07 PM
Sweet. It seems likely it's the same couple. Or, it could be one of their offspring and a partner at this point. I always think it would be fun to track bird visitors. I often wonder if the hummingbirds showing up at our house are the same as previous years.
Posted by: Beth @ PlantPostings | Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 06:52 PM
Yay! Fred and Ethel came to mind this morning when I disturbed wood ducks perched on a tree in my yard, harbingers of spring in our neighborhood. I immediately went to your blog Linda, and was pleased to hear "your" mallards had returned. Lovely essay; my heart is full!
Posted by: Elizabeth Palmer | Thursday, March 31, 2016 at 10:19 AM
Jessica — I think one reason we enjoy the ducks is that they eat bugs not the plants. We do have serious problems with rabbits but even that is nothing compared to the variety and size of critters who "visit" your garden.
Posted by: Linda from Each Little World | Thursday, March 31, 2016 at 10:40 AM
Beth — I had a college friend who banded hawks, so I've always thought it would be fun to track birds. Certainly would be curious to know if this is the exact same pair of ducks or kids or what.
Posted by: Linda from Each Little World | Thursday, March 31, 2016 at 10:51 AM
Elizabeth — Thanks for that lovely note. Having the ducks enlivens the garden so much. Each year we try to be prepared for them not to come, so it is with a huge sigh of relief we welcome them again.
Posted by: Linda from Each Little World | Thursday, March 31, 2016 at 10:51 AM